Combination luggage bag and golf bag cover



y 1970 R. J. WOODS, JR

COMBINATION LUGGAGE BAG AND GOLF BAG COV 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 7. 1968 INVENTOR. ROBERT Jv WOODS, JR

KM 574W A TQRN July 28, 1970 w s, JR 3,521,689

COMBINATION LUGGAGE BAG AND GOLF BAG" COVER Filed Oct. 7, 1968 2 ShQGtS'rShQGt- 2 Gym- INVENTOR. ROBERT J. WOODS JR ATTQRNEY United States Patent O COMBINATION LUGGAGE BAG AND GOLF BAG COVER Robert J. Woods, Jr., 1802 NBT Bldg, Tulsa, Okla. 74103 Filed Oct. 7, 1968, Ser. No. 765,500 Int. Cl. A45c 9/00; A63l0 55/00; B6511 33/08 US. Cl. 1501.5 12 (Ilaims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A luggage bag which is adaptable to serve as a cover for a golf bag to protect golf clubs. The bag is provided with means to secure it in position atop the golf bag by cooperation of snaps on the luggage bag with snaps on the golf bag, and is provided with means to hold it lockably on the golf bag when either in position to cover the golf bag or when removed from atop the golf bag.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to carrying devices, and more particularly, to luggage bags, and still more particularly, to luggage bags which are adaptable to serve as golf bag covers.

Various kinds of luggage bags are known, many of which serve distinct purposes. Small luggage bags of various types are commonly used by golfers for carrying golfing equipment or a change of clothing. At the same time a golfer will be carrying his golf clubs in a golf bag which will likely include a matching golf bag cover to protect the golf clubs during travel and during inclement weather. One such type of golf bag cover is described in US. Pat. 1,570,510, issued Jan. 19, 1926. Usually the cover is secured to the golf bag by means of cooperating male and female snaps and has a zippered opening across the normally closed portion which serves as the protective element for the golf clubs.

The average amateur golfer gets relatively little use from this cover. The golf bag Wears out in a few years, while the golf bag cover is still like new.

Moreover, if the golfer buys a golf bag with a cover, he still must buy a separate piece of luggage in which to carry his clothing or equipment.

Therefore, one object of this invention is to provide a carrying device which is simple in construction and which is readily adaptable to cooperate with a golf bag and to serve as a golf bag cover. Another object of this invention is to provide a luggage bag which will also constitute a unique type of closure for the open upper end of a golf bag. Still another object of this invention is to provide a luggage bag which is simple in construction, inexpensive, easy to manufacture, and which can be secured to the open end of a golf bag to provide a protective cover therefor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a luggage bag according to this invention and of a golf bag with which the luggage bag may cooperate showing the manner in which the luggage bag may be used.

FIG. 2 is a partial fragmentary perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a luggage bag according to this invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a luggage bag according to this invention and shows one type of closure means for the luggage bag.

FIG. 4 is a partial fragmentary perspective view of another alternate embodiment of a luggage bag according to this invention.

FIG. 4a is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 4 showing the luggage bag in a closed carrying condition.

FIG. 5 is a partial fragmentary perspective view of still another alternate embodiment of a luggage bag according to this invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of a luggage bag similar to that of FIG. 5 showing the bag equipped with a removable cover.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERED EMBODIMENTS The luggage bag of this invention has a soft, flexible body portion which permits the luggage bag to be adapted to its dual role as a carrying device for clothing, sports equipment, or toilet articles, and as a cover device for a golf bag to protect golf clubs from weather damage and from injury by contact with foreign objects. The body portion of the luggage bag includes a wall portion attached to a bottom portion so as to form a closable bag having an open upper end. The wall portion may include a series of flexible stiffeners which may delineate corner structure and bottom structure for the bag. Male and female snap means are provided interiorly of the upper end of the wall portion to cooperate with opposed snap means on the golf bag to which the luggage bag may be attached so that the luggage bag may be held removably in position atop the golf bag. Also, adjacent the open upper end of the luggage bag is provided means for attaching the luggage bag removably to the carrying member of the golf bag, which means may be an opening in the wall portion of the luggage bag adjacent the upper end or a ring member attached to the luggage bag adjacent the upper end. Handle means are provided for the luggage bag and may be either a pair of elongated slots near the upper end of the luggage bag disposed circumferentially opposite from each other or by a removable handle member securable to the upper end of the luggage bag. In addition, the luggage bag may be provided with a removable cover member which can be removed when the bag is used as a cover bag for a golf bag and which can be replaced when the bag is used to carry luggage.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 describes one embodiment of a luggage bag according to this invention and its manner of use by showing a luggage bag 10, generally, in position atop a conventional golf bag 12, generally. Luggage bag 10 includes a bottom portion 14, two oppositely disposed side wall portions 16, and two oppositely disposed end wall portions 18, which are all joined to form a closable bag having an open upper end 20. Thus, when the luggage bag is used as a golf bag cover, the open end fits closely over the top of the golf bag and is held in place by a series of conventional snaps of the male and female type. For example, a female type snap 22 on side wall 16 of the luggage bag snaps onto a male type snap 24, on the golf bag, and on the same side wall 16 a male type snap 24- is positioned to cooperate with a female type snap 22 of the golf bag. Then, on the opposite side wall 16 a male snap 24 is positioned (not in view in FIG. 1) so as to be opposed to female snap 22 on the side wall 16 shown. Likewise, a female snap 22 is positioned on side wall 16 (not in view in FIG. 1) to be opposite male snap 24 on the side wall 16 shown. Thus, when the luggage bag is removed from the golf bag and is used to carry clothing or equipment, the opposed male and female snaps cooperate with each other to form snap closure means for the open upper end of the luggage bag. The embodiment of FIG. 1 shows one means of securing the luggage bag removably to a carrying strap of the usual golf bag. An opening 26 in end wall 18 permits ring member 28 of the golf bag 12 to pass therethrough and be secured in the usual manner to latch 30 of carrying strap 32. Thus, when the luggage bag is unsnapped from its position atop the golf bag, it can be slid down the carrying strap of the golf bag to a position out of the way, or, as a safety measure, should it accidentally become unsnapped from the golf bag, it will still be secured to the golf bag. A removable handle member 34 is shown in FIG. 1 attached to side wall 16. A similar handle member is attached to the opposite side wall 16. Each handle member 34 is attached by conventional snap means similar to snaps 22 and 24. Of course, if desired, handle means 34 could be permanently attached. Sometimes the golf bag cover includes a zipper closure at the closed end of the cover so that when the cover is in position on the golf bag, ready access to the golf clubs may be had. Such a zipper member 36 is shown in FIG. 1. However, in inclement weather an open zipper permits contact of moisture with the golf clubs. But with the cover of this invention, a person may unsnap the cover and partially open it to reach inside the golf bag and the cover will still be in position to protect the golf clubs.

FIG. 2 describes a modified embodiment of the luggage bag of this invention. In this embodiment a ring member 38 is attached to the upper part of each end wall 18, and as shown in this figure one of such ring members 38 becomes positioned adjacent ring member 28 of the golf bag to permit latch 30 to engage both ring member 28 and ring member 38 to secure the luggage bag to the golf bag. Ring member 38 also provides means for a removable handle to be attached to the luggage bag, such handle having a latching member engaging each ring member 38 at opposite sides of the luggage bag. One side wall 16 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is slightly longer than the opposite side wall 16 so as to form a simple means of closure for the luggage bag when it is removed from the golf bag as shown in the cross sectional drawing of FIG. 3. In this embodiment female snaps 22 are disposed on the same side wall por tion 16 and male snaps 24 are disposed on the opposite side wall so that each snap member will cooperate with a snap member on the opposite side wall as shown in FIG. 3 to effect the closure means for the luggage bag.

FIG. 4 describes another modification of the luggage bag of this invention. In this embodiment each side wall 16 has an elongated slot opening 40 therein near the upper edge which cooperate, when the luggage bag is removed from the golf bag and the upper portions of the two side walls 16 are brought together, to form a means for carrying the luggage bag by permitting a persons fingers to pass through both openings and grip the upper edge of each side wall. In this embodiment a female snap 22 and a male snap 24 are arranged on each side wall 16 in a manner that they can cooperate with the opposite type snap on the opposite side wall 16 to provide closure means for the luggage bag. FIG. 4a describes the manner in which this embodiment may be closed and carried. In addition, the luggage bag of this invention can have a flexible stiffener member 42 formed of any suitable material, such as a metal spring or a strip of plastic, on the interior of wall 16 to provide some degree of rigidity to the luggage bag when it is carrying clothing or equipment. Although FIG. 4 shows this flexible stiffener member on only side wall member 16, this stiffener member can be incorporated into the luggage bag of FIG. 1 or FIG. 5 by completely encircling the upper interior of the luggage bag, that is, both side walls 16 and both end walls 18. Also, flexible stiffener members can be provided along the edges where side walls 16 meet end walls 18 and where side walls 16 and end walls 118 meet bottom portion 14.

FIG. 5 describes another embodiment of the luggage bag of this invention in which a flexible stiffener member 42 encircles the upper part of the luggage bag, and in which a series of double-headed snap members are provided on the luggage bag. These double-headed snap members may be either male or female, or may be male on one side and female on the other side, but in any case cooperate with opposite type snaps on the golf bag. In FIG. 5 and in FIG. 6, which is a cross section of a luggage bag of the embodiment of FIG. 5, snaps 44 are shown to be of the male type, and cooperate with female snaps 46 on the golf bag. Double-headed snaps are provided on this embodiment so that a removable cover 48 may be used with the luggage bag. In FIG. 6 this removable cover 48 is held in place by female snaps 5t} and is provided with a conventional handle 52.

Since many different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the specific embodiments described in detail herein are not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of this invention is best defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A luggage bag having a bottom portion and a wall portion, said wall portion adaptable to surround an upper portion of a golf bag,

means to secure said luggage bag removably to said upper portion of said golf bag,

means to attach said luggage bag removably to a carrying member of said golf bag, and

carrying means for said luggage bag.

2. A luggage bag as described in claim 1 in which said means to secure said luggage bag removably to said upper portion of said golf bag includes snap means on said luggage bag cooperating with snap means on said golf bag.

3. A luggage bag as described in claim 2 wherein said wall portion has an opening therein near an open upper end of said luggage bag to provide said means to secure said luggage bag removably to carrying means of said golf bag.

4. A luggage bag as described in claim 3 wherein said wall portion includes a pair of elongated slots near said open upper end of said luggage bag and disposed circum ferentially oppositely from each other to provide said carrying means for said luggage bag.

5. A luggage bag as described in claim 4 wherein said luggage bag includes removable cover means.

6. A luggage bag as described in claim 3 wherein said carrying means for said luggage bag includes removable handle means.

7. A luggage bag as described in claim 6 wherein said luggage bag includes removable cover means.

8. A luggage bag as described in claim 2 wherein said means to secure said luggage bag removably to carrying means of said golf bag includes a ring member adjacent said open upper end of said luggage bag.

9. A luggage bag as described in claim 8 wherein said wall portion includes a pair of elongated slots near said 6 open upper end of said luggage bag and disposed circum- References Cited ferentially oppositely from each other to provide said carrying means for said luggage bag. UNITED STATES PATENTS 10. A luggage bag as described in claim 9 wherein said 1,570,510 1/1926 McQuirk. luggage bag includes removable cover means. ,1 2,256,521 9/1941 Kirkpatrick.

11. A luggage bag as described in claim 8 wherein said a carrying means for said luggage bag includes removable DONALD E NORTON, P i E i handle means.

12. A luggage bag as described in claim 11 wherein US. Cl. X.R. said luggage bag includes removable cover means. 10 150-3, 7, 12, 52 

